Social supply harvest mechanic for interactive social games

• US 8,272,956 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2010
• Issued: 09/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zynga Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Zynga Incorporated
• Inventors: Kelly, Sean Uberoi, Le, Alexander Michael Minh Khiem
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah, Milap
• Application Number:
  US12/947,356
• Publication Number:
  US 20120122587A1
• Time in Patent Office: 679 Days
• Field of Search: 463/1, 463/9, 463/10, 463/13, 463 30- 35, 463 40- 43, 705/26.1, 705/26.2, 705/26.43
• US Class Current: 463/31
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/44 involving timing of operations, e.g. performing an action within a time slot
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/533 for prompting the player, e.g. by displaying a game menu
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/795 for finding other players; for building a team; for providing a buddy list
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/80 Special adaptations for executing a specific game genre or game mode
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/85 Providing additional services to players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/87 Communicating with other players during game play, e.g. by e-mail or chat
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/407 Data transfer via internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5533 using program state or machine event data, e.g. server keeps track of the state of multiple players on in a multiple player game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5553 user representation in the game field, e.g. avatar
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/572 Communication between players during game play of non game information, e.g. e-mail, chat, file transfer, streaming of audio and streaming of video
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/575 for trading virtual items

Abstract

A supply harvest mechanic with a social fulfillment component for online social games.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a computing device, a supply order from a first player of a computer-implemented game, wherein the supply order identifies a requested in-game asset, an expiration time and a social fulfillment component, and wherein the in-game asset is a supply asset used to initiate a harvest mechanic cycle in the computer-implemented game;

responsive to receiving the supply order from the first player, dispatching, by the computing device, one or more supply fulfillment invitations to one or more second players based on the social fulfillment component of the supply order; and

after the expiration time, allowing, by the computing device, the first player to access the requested in-game asset without regard to receiving responses to the one or more supply fulfillment invitations from the one or more second players.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving acceptance of the one or more supply fulfillment invitations from at least one of the one or more second players prior to the expiration time; and

responsive to the acceptance, providing, by the computing device, an in-game benefit to the at least one of the one or more second players.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more second players are selected by the first player.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the one or more second players are limited to in-game contacts of the first player.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more second players are randomly selected by game logic of the computing device.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising

providing an incentive to the first player to initiate the supply order with the social fulfillment component.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising

providing an incentive to the one or more second players to accept at least one of the one or more supply fulfillment invitations.

8. A non-transitory, computer readable medium comprising instructions operative, when executed, to cause one or more processors to:

receive a supply order from a first player of a computer-implemented game, wherein the supply order identifies a requested in-game asset, an expiration time and a social fulfillment component, and wherein the in-game asset is a supply asset used to initiate a harvest mechanic cycle in the computer-implemented game;

responsive to receiving the supply order from the first player, dispatch one or more supply fulfillment invitations to one or more second players based on the social fulfillment component of the supply order; and

after the expiration time, allow the first player to access the requested in-game asset without regard to receiving responses to the one or more supply fulfillment invitations from the one or more second players.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 8 further comprising instructions operative to cause the one or more processors to:

receive acceptance of the one or more supply fulfillment invitations from at least one of the one or more second players prior to the expiration time; and

responsive to the acceptance, provide an in-game benefit to the at least one of the one or more second players.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 8 wherein the one or more second players are selected by the first player.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 10 wherein the one or more second players are limited to in-game contacts of the first player.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 8 wherein the one or more second players are randomly selected by game logic of the instructions executed by the one or more processors.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 8 further comprising instructions operative to cause the one or more processors to:

provide an incentive to the first player to initiate the supply order with the social fulfillment component.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 8 further comprising instructions operative to cause the one or more processors to:

provide an incentive to the one or more second players to accept at least one of the one or more supply fulfillment invitations.

15. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a computing device, a supply order from a first player of a computer-implemented game, wherein the supply order identifies a requested amount of in-game virtual goods units, an expiration time and a social fulfillment component, and wherein the in-game virtual goods units are a requirement to initiation of a harvest mechanic implemented within the computer-implemented game;

responsive to receiving the supply order from the first player, dispatching, by the computing device, one or more supply fulfillment invitations to one or more second players based on the social fulfillment component of the supply order; and

after the expiration time, incrementing, by the computing device, a virtual goods unit value of the first player by the requested amount of in-game virtual goods units without regard to receiving responses to the supply fulfillment invitations from the one or more second players.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising

responsive to inputs of the first player, initiating a cycle of the harvest mechanic and decrementing the virtual goods unit value by a determined amount of virtual good units.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising

receiving acceptance of the one or more supply fulfillment invitations from at least one of the one or more second players prior to the expiration time;

and

responsive to the acceptance, providing, by the computing device, an in-game benefit to the at least one of the one or more second players.

18. The method of 15 wherein the one or more second players are selected by the first player.